Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi led the groundbreaking for the South Lokichar Oil Project in Turkana County. He assured that the first crude oil shipment will leave Mombasa before year-end. Local leaders and residents demanded greater transparency in the project's implementation.
Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi led the groundbreaking ceremony for the South Lokichar Oil Project in Turkana County on Saturday, April 25. The initiative revives plans for commercial oil production around 14 years after a British firm discovered reserves there in 2012.
During the event, Wandayi stated, “I want to give an assurance that before the end of this year, this oil will have been shipped to Mombasa so that Turkana and the entire country can see its benefits.” He added, “We shall work closely with the leadership of Turkana county government to solve problems that may arise.”
Local leaders and residents demanded transparency, urging disclosure of the field development plan and production-sharing contract. The ceremony followed President William Ruto's call for self-sufficiency at a continental summit in Nairobi on Thursday, attended by Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni.
The Lokichar Basin is believed to hold over 560 million barrels of oil. British firm Tullow Oil exited in April 2025, with Gulf Company taking over. The government approved the development plan in January, alongside infrastructure like northern corridor roads and a KSh 220 billion railway revival plan from Nakuru to South Lokichar.
